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Open Vallejo

Knowledge is power. Power to the people.

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Katelyn Knight

Grainy black-and-white surveillance image shows Darryl Mefferd, handcuffed and wearing a Chicago Bulls shirt, leaning forward in the backseat of a police vehicle. He appears distressed. A timestamp in the upper-left corner reads “2016-12-07 23:54:12.”
Posted inPublic Safety

‘I can’t breathe’: video shows death Vallejo police concealed for years

by Anna Bauman May 14, 2025May 20, 2025
A man in a white polo shirt and khaki pants stands outdoors beside a weathered building with red wooden shingles and broken windows. Tall dry grass surrounds him as he looks thoughtfully off to the side.
Posted inPublic Safety

Mathew Mustard, of ‘American Nightmare’ infamy, retires from Vallejo

by Matthew Brown April 1, 2025April 1, 2025
A composite image titled "No Responsive Records," featuring grayscale portraits of five individuals who were killed in encounters with the Vallejo police. Each portrait captures distinct facial expressions, suggesting a personal story behind each individual. Below the images, the text reads, "How Vallejo Hid Killings by Police," highlighting investigative themes.
Posted inAwards

Open Vallejo wins journalism honor for exposing hidden killings by police

by Open Vallejo November 1, 2024November 1, 2024
Photo of a white car’s windshield marked with multiple bullet trajectory rods and labels, indicating the paths of shots fired into the vehicle. The image, dated September 6, 2012, shows an investigator leaning toward the passenger side, examining the scene.
Posted inImpact

Vallejo releases some police shooting evidence previously thought destroyed

by Anna Bauman October 10, 2024October 10, 2024
A man stands in front of a dimly lit concrete wall, gazing into the distance with a contemplative expression.
Posted inCity Hall

Vallejo whistleblowers who alleged corruption settle for $3 million

by Anna Bauman October 9, 2024October 9, 2024
A portrait of Darryl Mefferd
Posted inPublic Safety

The secret death of Darryl Dean Mefferd

by Laurence Du Sault June 10, 2024January 27, 2025
Two SWAT officers in tactical gear during a daylight operation in a suburban setting. One officer is standing while carrying a rifle, wearing a helmet and protective glasses. The other officer is standing beside a fence, pointing a handgun up toward a second-story window. The background shows dry vegetation.
Posted inPublic Safety

SWAT officer among Vallejo police with DUI convictions

by Anna Bauman May 1, 2024January 28, 2025
A Black woman in her early 40s wearing a white shirt poses for a portrait on her porch at sunset. An uncannily-accurate tattoo of her twin brother Charles, who was killed by Vallejo police in 2007, when they were 26, adorns her right arm.
Posted inImpact

Vallejo police concealed violent deaths for years, Open Vallejo lawsuit reveals

by Laurence Du Sault August 24, 2023January 28, 2025
California State Sen. Nancy Skinner speaks at a podium inside California's Capitol while holding a sheaf of paper and wearing glasses.
Posted inOpen Government

State senator says juvenile records laws shouldn’t shield police

by Laurence Du Sault July 11, 2023October 30, 2024
Jared Huey, a skinny teenage boy wearing a baseball cap and a longsleeve shirt with the sleeves rolled up barbecues in a backyard on a sunny day. An open Dr. Pepper soda can be seen within arm's reach. The photograph appears to have been taken with a broken camera that let light leak in, giving the image a nostalgic, multi-color effect.
Posted inPublic Safety

‘Twisted to conceal:’ How laws meant to protect children help police evade scrutiny

by Laurence Du Sault June 28, 2023January 29, 2025

Posts pagination

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Editor’s Picks

‘I can’t breathe’: video shows death Vallejo police concealed for years

‘I can’t breathe’: video shows death Vallejo police concealed for years

Senior officials ordered destruction of Vallejo police shooting evidence

Senior officials ordered destruction of Vallejo police shooting evidence

Vallejo police bend badges to mark fatal shootings

Vallejo police bend badges to mark fatal shootings

Suspects in killings of Vallejo witness, Vermont border patrol agent connected by marriage license, extreme ideology

Suspects in killings of Vallejo witness, Vermont border patrol agent connected by marriage license, extreme ideology

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Open Vallejo is an award-winning, independent, nonpartisan newsroom serving the public interest.

We are a project of the Informed California Foundation, a periodical publication, wire service and press association that produces and supports impactful, responsive, local accountability journalism in communities across the state.

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